This document provides an introduction to information security. It outlines the objectives of understanding information security concepts and terms. The document discusses the history of information security beginning with early mainframe computers. It defines information security and explains the critical characteristics of information, including availability, accuracy, authenticity, confidentiality and integrity. The document also outlines approaches to implementing information security and the phases of the security systems development life cycle.

1. Introduction to Information Security

2. Objectives
 Understand the definition of information security
 Understand the critical characteristics of information
 Understand the comprehensive model for information
security
 Outline the approaches to information security
implementation
 Outline the phases of the security systems development
life cycle
 Understand the key terms of information security
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3. Introduction
 Information security: a “well-informed sense of
assurance that the information risks and controls are in
balance.” —James Anderson, Inovant (2002)
 The practice of defending information from unauthorized
access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification,
perusal, inspection, recording or destruction.
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4. The History of Information Security
 Began immediately after the first mainframes were
developed
 Groups developing code-breaking computations during
World War II created the first modern computers
 Physical controls to limit access to sensitive military
locations to authorized personnel
 Rudimentary in defending against physical theft,
espionage, and damage
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5. What is Security?
 “The quality or state of being secure—to be free from danger”
 A successful organization should have multiple layers of security in
place:
 Physical security-Product the Physical items, object or areas from
unauthorized access and misuse
 Personal security-Protection
to personal who authorized to access
organization and its operation
 Operations security-Protection
of the details of particular operation or
activities
 Communications security-Protection
of organizations communication
media, technology and content
 Network security-Protection
of Networking Components, Connections and
Contents
 Information security-Protection of information and its Critical elements
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6. What is Information Security?
 The protection of information and its critical elements,
including systems and hardware that use, store, and
transmit that information
 Necessary tools: policy, awareness, training, education,
technology
 C.I.A. triangle was standard based on confidentiality,
integrity, and availability
 C.I.A. triangle now expanded into list of critical
characteristics of information
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7. Loganathan R @HKBKCE
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8. Components of Information Security
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9. Critical Characteristics of Information
 The value of information comes from the characteristics it
possesses(Defined by CIA Triangle):
 Availability : Enables authorized users or computers to
access information without interference or obstruction and
to receive it in the required format
 Accuracy : When it is free from mistakes or errors and it
has the value that user expects [Bank Balance]
 Authenticity : The Quality or State of being genuine or
Original, rather than a Reproduction or Fabrication [Email
spoofing]
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10. Critical Characteristics of Information Contd…
 Confidentiality : Prevented from the disclosure or
exposure to unauthorized individuals or systems [bits & pieces
of info / Salami theft]
 Integrity : It is Whole, complete and uncorrupted [file hashing]
 Utility : The quality or state of having value for some
purpose or end
 Possession: The quality or state of having ownership or
control of some object or item
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11. NSTISSC Security Model
 National Security Telecommunications, and Information Systems Security
Committee
 Model for Information Security and is becoming Evaluation Standard
 27 Cells representing areas that must be addressed n the security process
 A control / safeguard that addresses the need to use Technology to protect
the Integrity of information while in Storage

12. Approaches to Information Security
Implementation: Bottom-Up Approach
 Grassroots effort: systems administrators attempt to
improve security of their systems
 Key advantage:
administrators
technical
expertise
of
individual
 Seldom works, as it lacks a number of critical features:
 Participant support
 Organizational staying power
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13. Approaches to Information Security
Implementation: Top-Down Approach
 Initiated by upper management
 Issue policy, procedures and processes
 Dictate goals and expected outcomes of project
 Determine accountability for each required action
 The most successful also involve formal development
strategy referred to as systems development life cycle
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14. Approaches to Information Security
Implementation Contd…
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15. The Security Systems Development Life Cycle
 The same phases used in traditional SDLC may be adapted to support
specialized implementation of an IS project
 Identification of specific threats and creating controls to counter them
 SecSDLC is a coherent program rather than a series of random, seemingly
unconnected actions
SDLC Waterfall Method
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16. Phase 1:Investigation
 Management Identifies process, outcomes, goals, budget
and constraints of the project
 Begins with enterprise information security policy
 Outline project scope and goals
 Estimate cost
 Organizational feasibility analysis is performed
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17. Phase 2:Analysis
 Documents from investigation phase are studied
 Analyzes existing security policies or programs, along
with documented current threats and associated controls
 Study integration new system with existing system
 Includes analysis of relevant legal issues that could
impact design of the security solution
 The risk management task begins
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18. Phase 3:Logical Design
 Creates and develops blueprints for information security
 Incident response actions planned:
 Continuity planning
 Incident response
 Disaster recovery
 Feasibility analysis to determine whether project should
continue or be outsourced
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19. Phase 4:Physical Design
 Needed security technology is evaluated, alternatives
generated, and final design selected
 Develop definition of successful solution
 At end of phase, feasibility study determines readiness of
the project Implementation
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20. Phase 5:Implementation
 Security solutions are acquired, tested, implemented, and
tested again
 Personnel issues evaluated; specific training and
education programs conducted
 Entire tested package is presented to management for
final approval
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21. Phase 6:Maintenance and Change
 Perhaps the most important phase, given the everchanging threat environment
 Often, reparation and restoration of information is a
constant duel with an unseen adversary
 Information security profile of an organization requires
constant adaptation as new threats emerge and old
threats evolve
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22. Key Terms[Terminology]
 Access-a
subject or object’s ability to use, manipulate, modify, or affect another
subject or object
 Asset - the organizational resource that is being protected.
 Attack - an act that is an intentional or unintentional attempt to cause damage
or compromise to the information and/or the systems that support it.
 Control, Safeguard or Countermeasure
security mechanisms,
policies or procedures that can successfully counter attacks, reduce risk, resolve
vulnerabilities, and otherwise improve the security within an organization
-
 Exploit – to take advantage of weaknesses or vulnerability in a system
 Exposure - a single instance of being open to damage.
 Hacking - Good: to use computers or systems for enjoyment; Bad: to illegally gain
access to a computer or system
 Object
- a passive entity in the information system that receives or contains
information
 Risk- the probability that something can happen.
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23. Key Terms[Terminology]
 Security Blueprint
- the plan for the implementation of new security
measures in the organization
 Security Model
- a collection of specific security rules that represents the
implementation of a security policy
 Security Posture or Security Profile-
a general label for the
combination of all policy, procedures, technology, and programs that make up the
total security effort currently in place
 Subject - an active entity that interacts with an information system and causes
information to move through the system for a specific end purpose
 Threats
a category of objects, persons, or other entities that represents a
potential danger to an asset.
-
 Threat Agent -a specific instance or component of a more general threat
 Vulnerability- weaknesses or faults in a system or protection mechanism that
expose information to attack or damage
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24. Summary
 Information security is a “well-informed sense of assurance that
the information risks and controls are in balance.”
 Computer security began immediately after first mainframes were
developed
 Successful organizations have multiple layers of security in place:
physical, personal, operations, communications, network, and
information.
 Security should be considered a balance between protection and
availability
 Information security must be managed similar to any major system
implemented in an organization using a methodology like
SecSDLC
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